Video game content rating system

An example of different Rating Systems on Video game discs which is common practice with PAL/European versions. From top left to down right: the Russian video game rating system, the European PEGI System, the German USK System sharing all the same age classification on this game.

A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of video games into suitability-related groups. Most of these systems are associated with and/or sponsored by a government, and are sometimes part of the local motion picture rating system. The utility of such ratings has been called into question by studies that publish findings such as 90% of teenagers claim that their parents "never" check the ratings before allowing them to rent or buy video games,[1] and as such calls have been made to "fix" the existing rating systems.[2][3] Video game content rating systems can be used as the basis for laws that cover the sales of video games to minors, such as in Australia. Rating checking and approval is part of the game localization when they are being prepared for their distribution in other countries or locales. These rating systems have also been used to voluntarily restrict sales of certain video games by stores, such as the German retailer Galeria Kaufhof's removal of all video games rated 18+ by the USK following the Winnenden school shooting.[4]

A comparison of current video game rating systems, showing age on the horizontal axis. Note however that the specific criteria used in assigning a classification can vary widely from one country to another. Thus a color code or age range cannot be directly compared from one country to another.

Key:

White: Aimed at young audiences / All ages may play / Exempt / Not rated / No applicable rating.

Adopted on 15 October 2005. Rating systems are also used for television and motion pictures. No games distributed in Argentina has used yet this rating, as the majority of the games available for sale are imported.

Similar to other forms of media, video games have been the subject of argument between leading professionals and restriction and prohibition. Often these bouts of criticism come from use of debated topics such as video game graphic violence, virtual sex, violent and gory scenes, partial or full nudity, drug use, portrayal of criminal behavior or other provocative and objectionable material.

Video games have also been studied for links to addiction and aggression. There have been a multitude of studies concretely linking violent video game play with increased aggression. A meta analysis of studies from both eastern and western countries yielded evidence that "...strongly suggests that exposure to violent video games is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, and aggressive affect and for decreased empathy and prosocial behavior."[5]

There are also groups the have argued to the contrary, that few if any scientifically proven studies exist to back up these claims, and that the video game industry has become an easy target for the media to blame for many modern day problems.[6][7][8] As is evidenced by meta analyses such as the one cited above, there have been a multitude of studies proving a link between violent game play and aggressive behavior. Researchers have also proposed potential positive effects of video games on aspects of social and cognitive development and psychological well-being.[9] It has been shown that action video game players have better hand-eye coordination and visuo-motor skills, such as their resistance to distraction, their sensitivity to information in the peripheral vision and their ability to count briefly presented objects, than non-players.[10]

The Department of Justice, Rating, Titles and Qualification ('DJCTQ') (Departamento de Justiça, Classificação, Títulos e Qualificação in Portuguese) rates films, games and television programs in Brazil. It is controlled by the Ministry of Justice (Ministério da Justiça).

Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games with logos on games boxes. It was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) and came into use in April 2003; it replaced many national age rating systems with a single European system. The PEGI system is now used in more than thirty-one countries and is based on a code of conduct, a set of rules to which every publisher using the PEGI system is contractually committed. PEGI self-regulation is composed by five age categories and eight content descriptors that advise the suitability and content of a game for a certain age range based on the games content.[17] The age rating does not indicate the difficulty of the game or the skill required to play it.[18]

Finnish Centre for Media Education and Audiovisual Media (in FinnishMediakasvatus- ja kuvaohjelmakeskus, in SwedishCentralen för mediefostran och bildprogram (both: MEKU)) is an official institution of the Finnish Ministry of Education. It is responsible for the age-ratings of films, television programs and interactive games. Only material intended to be accessible to minors (those under 18 years of age) is subject to classification before being released to the public; sex films do not need to be classified (but they have to be marked clearly with the age limit 18). Films and television programmes are classified by authorized classifiers, trained by the Centre. The classifiers usually work within the media industry.

Entertainment Software Rating Association (Persian: اسرا‎‎) (ESRA) is a governmental video game content rating system that is used in Iran. Games that cannot be rated are considered illegal and cannot be sold.

PG: Films and games with a PG label can be sold, hired, or shown to anyone. The PG label means guidance from a parent or guardian is recommended for younger viewers.

M: Films and games with an M label can be sold, hired, or shown to anyone. Films with an M label are more suitable for mature audiences. A lot of media popular with the 10+ age group are classified M.[24]

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.[25] PEGI ratings are used on some French-language games sold in Canada, and some Spanish-language games sold in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Despite being self-regulatory, in Canada, games rated by the ESRB are required by law to be rated and/or restricted, though this only varies at a province and territory level. While not regulated by law, other Latin American countries use this system as video game stores sell ESRB-rated copies of games instead of PEGI ones.

The Age classification of information products is a new statutory classification set of rules formed by the Russian Government after enacting in September 2012 a Federal Law of Russian Federation no. 436-FZ of 2010-12-23 “On Protecting of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development” (Russian: Федеральный закон Российской Федерации от 29 декабря 2010 г. N 436-ФЗ «О защите детей от информации, причиняющей вред их здоровью и развитию»), which classifies films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Russia since 1 September 2012. The Ministry of Culture provides administrative support to the classification.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom.[27] It has a statutory requirement to classify videos and DVDs. It no longer has responsibility for rating video games in the UK. This role has been passed to the Video Standards Council using its games rating arm, the Games Rating Authority (GRA).[28]

In July 2012, the Video Standards Council (VSC) became the sole UK statutory video games regulator for the UK. The VSC uses the PEGI ratings system to rate games. Games released in the UK are rated by the VSC's games rating arm, the Games Rating Authority (GRA). This role was previously undertaken by the BBFC. Games featuring strong pornographic content or ancillary mini-games to be included with a DVD feature will still be rated by the BBFC.